Permutation-lock



'Nm 6|A2,335. Patented 00L", |898.I

c.- r.1. HAGasfTRoM. PEnu-TATmnLcK,

(Apumion med Feb. 28,1898.)

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v mm gi UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE CHARLES J. nAGGsTRoM, ou WARREN, PENNSYLVANIA.

PERM UTATIONV- LIOCK. l

- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 612,335, dated lOctober 11, 1898.

'Application nea rebruary 2811.398. stan no. ev'aoso. (No man.)

To aZL-pvhcm `t may concern:- v I Be` it known that I, CHARLES J. HAGG- STROM, a `citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the-.county of Warren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Permutation- Loek Boxes or Chests, of 4which the following is 'a specification. Y l

This invention relates to that class or type of boxes or chests having a plurality of permutation-locks secured in thebox-cover and provided with hooked shanks operating vin connection with a plate secured in the-boxbody and having slots with which the hooked shanks may be made to engage and disengage for the purpose of locking and unlocking the box.

The chief object of my present invention. is to improve permutation-lock boxes of the character referred to, to provide novel, simple, eicient, and economical permutation-l locking devices for boxes, chests, and analogousA structures, to provide a box orchest with a plurality ofindependent permutationlocks having 'adj ustable or changeable hooked bolts or Shanks which coperate with a fixed plate constructed with edge notches for lock-` ing and unlockingr the box, andto provide a permutation-lock box of the character abo've referred to wherein the finger-pieces which are manipulated to lock'and unlock the box are located in c ountersunk portions lof the box-cover and do not measurably project above or from the level or surface of the top of the box-cover in such manner that while the box is provided with a plurality of independently operated permutation -locks no part of the latter will oifer any obstruction at the exterior 'of the box, which is advantageous and desirable in combination or permutation lock boxes of the kind above mentioned.v

To accomplish all these objects, mylinvention involves the features of construction,

the combinations or arrangements of parts,

and the principles of operation hereinafter described and'claimed, reference being made vertical orifices `7,v having 'their upper ends y scale, of a box, chest, or analogous structure' provided with a line'or row Yof permutationlocks constructed in accordance'withmy inthe box-cover and the notchedangle-plate on thebox-body. Fig.l 3 is a transverse sectional viewthrough the box, taken on a line coincident with the center ofl the hookedshank of one of the locks. Fig. l is a detail sectional view of Aone of the. 1ocks. Fig.A 5 is a detail side elevation showing a modified construction of the lock. Fig.. 6 is a vertical sectional view of the same, and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectionalfview thereof.

In order to enable those skilled in the art t0 make and use my invention, l will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The numeral l indicates the body of a box, chest, or analogous structure, and 2 the hinged box-cover or lid. These parts may be 4of any form, shape, configuration, or construction,

and therefore more detailed description of the same is deemed unnecessary. g The. front longitudinal edge of the boxbody'is provided with a rigidly-attached locking-plate composed of a metallic angle-iron distances apart are formed rectangular or4 other suitably-shaped notches 6.: In the presentinstance l haverepresented ten notches in the horizontalilange 4, because there are ten permutation-locks mounted on the cover, as will hereinafter appear; but the number of notches may be increased or diminished to y suit the conditionsrequired, accordingto the a vertical iiange 3 andh number of permutation-'locks secured in the box-cover or lid. y f i n A Y l The top Wall of ythe box-cover 2 is constructed near its front edge with a line or row of countersunk, as at 8,-so that the finger-pieces IOG 'ofjthe permutation -'locks-may occupy the countersunk portions and lieushor substantially flush with the top surfaceof the' box-cover. Inasmuch as ten locking-notches are represented in the locking angle-plateA there should be ten independent perm utation-v locks construct-ed according to my invention arranged i-n the top wall of the box-cover.

The permutation-locks are each composed of a V-shaped button or head 9, havinga rectilinear edge 10 at its apex, shaped similar to a knife-edge. The button or head is provided with an attached tubular extension 12, circular in cross-section and more or less ac` curately iitting one of the orifices 7, so that the tubular extension can be turned 'in the orice by turning the button or head. The tubular extension of each lock contains a removable. and replaceable shank 13, having a hook 14 at'its lower or outer end, designed to coperate with one of the notches G in the notched angle-iron, as will hereinafter appear. The shank of the hook accurately lits the bore in the tubular' extension and is confined in a fixed position relatively to the latter through the medium of a transverse pin l5, passing through the tubular extension and through an orifice in the upper or inner end of the shank of the hook. The tubular extension is constructed with several perforations, as at 16, for the passage of the piu 15, so that by removing the-pin the hooked shank c an be detached from the tubular extension and then again inserted thereinto and secured by"the pin for the purpose of varying the positionof the hook 14 relatively to the rectilinear knife-edge 10, forming the apex of the button or head 9--that is to say, the hooked shanks can all be transposed or interchanged and the relative positions of their hooks altered more or less relatively to one another and to the direction of the rectilinear knife-edges on the buttons or heads. The purpose of this is to enable the notches. in the locking angle-plate to be indiscriminately or orderly arranged in various posi- Sons or angles relatively to the front of the The top surface of the box-cover is provided in juxtaposition to the circular edges of the countersunk portions 8 with diacritical marks or indexes to cooperate with the knife-edges on the buttons or heads, the construction being such that an authorized person acquainted with the necessary adjustments of the buttons or heads'can regis/ter the knife-edges of such b uttons or heads with the required diacritical marks, which serve asv gages or guides, for the purpose of causing the hooks 14 of all the Shanks 13 to register with the notches in v the locking angle-plate, thereby rendering it possible to lock or 'unlock the box, A,as will be.

obvious.` To close and lock the boxfcover, the hooks'14 of all'the shanks must be so adj usted through the medium of theirbuttons or heads that they will pass throughthe notches in the locking angle-plate Whenthe box-cover is, closed, and subsequently the buttons or heads can be more orless turned, so that the hooks of the Shanks are moved out of i coincidence with the notches in the locking angle-plate. By this adj ustmcnt of the parts the box is securely locked and cannot be opened, except by a person acquainted with the exact manner in which the knife-` vedges on the buttons or heads must be adj usted with relation to the proper diacritical marks to register the hooks of the Shanks with the notches in the locking angle-plate, whereupon the box can be opened.

By making the locking-plate in the form of an angle-iron, as described and shown, a very strong and durable locking-plate is provided and in connection with the permutation-locks in the cover makes it impossible to pry the box open.

If the arrangement of the hooks 14 be adjusted or altered to vary their relation 'to one another, the locking-notches in the metallic angle-iron may be so disposed as to coperate with the particular adjustment of the hooks of the Shanks. Inasmuch as the position of the hooks can be largely varied relatively to one another, thus securing new combinations, it seems proper to term the locks permuta tion-locks, in that the arrangement or order of the locking-hooks can be varied, which necessitates a different manipulation of the buttons or heads for the purpose of Wprking out the combination or permutation and opening the box.

In Figs. 5, G, and 7 of the drawings I illustrate a sligiitiy-modified construction of-permutation-lock. in this instance the button or head 9 is constructed. with an extension 12, which 1s circular adjacent to the button or head and for the remainder of its length is substantially semicircular in cross-section. The ilatside of this extension. is formed With a groove 17, into which the shank 13a of the hook 14 is fitted. f

Acollar 18 encircles the extension andthe shank and is provided with a set-screw which `when' tightened up clamps the collar to the Aextension 12n and rigidly holds the shank of the hook in the extension. The collar can IOO IIO

be readily removed for the purpose of reversing the shank in order to adjust the hook of the shank and causing it to vextend in any desired direction relatively to the knife-edge on the button or head.

Having thus described .my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination with a ixed lockingplate having alplurality of notches or recesses,

of a plurality of locks, each consisting of a button or head having axknifev-edge on its upper side, a tubular extension, and a shank removably secured in the tubular extension and provided with a hook, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a box-body, and a box-cover havinga row of countersnk oriices in its top wall, of a locking-plate rigidlyfixed in the box-body and constructed with a plurality of notches or recesses, and a plurality of permutation-locks, each composed of a button or head lying in one of the said countersunk portions, an extension working in one of said orifices, and a shank detaohably se' curedto the said extension and pro vided with a hook, substantially as described. e

3. The combination with a box-body, of a box-cover having a row of orifices in its top wall, each formed with a countersink atits outer portion, a-locking-plate rigidly secured in the box-body and having a plurality of locking notches or recesses, and a series of i locks carried by the cover, each lock consist- ,ing cfa button or head lying in one of the.V

- outer portion, a locking-plate rigidly secured in the box-body andhaving a plurality of locking notches or recesses, and-a series of locks carried by the cover, each lock consisting of a button or head lying in one of the countersinks to be iiush with the top surface of the cover, an extension projecting from the butf ton orhead and Working in one of the orifices, and a shank secured to the said extension and having a lhook, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a fixed lockingplate having a plurality of notches, of a series of permutation-locks, each consisting of a button or head having an extension, a shank detachably fitted insad extension and hav-v ing, a hook, a collar encircling said extension and shank, and a setsc`rew carried by the co1- lar for clamping the hooked shank in any position to which it may be adjusted, substantially as described. I, x

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing-*Witnesses.

Y CHARLES J. HAGGSTROM. Witnesses:

CHAS. DINsMoRE,

E. H. BESHLIN. Y 

